


can you hear me? am i drowned out by your dreams?

by AnxietyAvocado



Series: from dusk til dawn, i'll stay with you [1]
Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2019)
Genre: F/M, Kyoru - Freeform, except of course for when she's pretending to sleep, no proofreading we die like men okay, tohru is like the deepest sleeper ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxietyAvocado/pseuds/AnxietyAvocado
Summary: everyone depends on tohru during the day for so much. she cooks, she cleans, she makes sure that the boys are comfortable and not at each other's throats all the time. but what she doesn't know is that they depend on her while sleeping too - at least, kyo does. that's the only time he can talk to her.
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou
Series: from dusk til dawn, i'll stay with you [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727083
Comments: 3
Kudos: 42





	can you hear me? am i drowned out by your dreams?

"Do you know how much I hate talking to people? I mean, other than the stupid Rat, but that's mostly just insults and threats anyway. I don't even like talking to Shigure or Haru or... anyone. Definitely not the dumb Rabbit. God, he's so annoying. When they all talk it's like static but makes me want to scream. How can you just keep talking so much? And listen? How do you not lose your mind listening to people when they yammer on at you all day long? People are dumb and judgmental and hateful and they make decisions based off of the stupidest stuff. Like how everyone thinks that just because I'm the Cat I'm not worth anything, or how because you-" _because you are this ray of freaking sunshine that you're this shallow smiley freak who doesn't know what life is like. But you do. You do._

Kyo's whispers trailed off to nothing, the words dissipating into the mild spring evening. He was seated on the deck next to Tohru, who had fallen asleep again. She was curled up (very much like a cat, which made Kyo absurdly happy), using her arm for a pillow, and was supposed to be drinking her tea before starting her homework for the evening - she had said as much to Shigure and Yuki before they left for Hatori's office. Kyo sneered as he thought of the sickly Rat, who always needed _special attention_ from the family doctor, and was actually allowed - encouraged even - at the main estate. Kyo was pretty sure that if he was sick Akito would demand that he be left to his own devices, probably threatening to tar and feather anyone who helped him. All because he was the worthless Cat.

With a shake of his head, Kyo looked over at Tohru again. She looked... peaceful. Happy. How could someone look that happy in her sleep? She was probably the kind of girl that dreamed of cotton candy and chocolate chip cookies and unicorns or whatever, he figured. Which was maybe why he found this so peaceful. Or why he was able to talk to her like this. For all the times that Tohru had begged him to confide in her, he just couldn't talk to her. At least not face to face. There was something about trying to speak to her when she looked so earnest and so damned happy to be of use, with those big brown eyes and earnest smile... It was just too much. But like this? Like this, he could say whatever he wanted to her. 

Which, apparently, was about how much he hated talking to people. 

"I mean, really, it's not like I'm some weird mute hermit who lives in a cave somewhere. I know how to talk to people," he huffed. "But that doesn't mean I want to. All those girls at school are so shallow and annoying. Why are they obsessed with Yuki anyway? So he's quiet and mysterious! I can be mysterious too-" Of course, Kyo knew that was impossible. He couldn't be quiet either. He was loud and brash and angry, and pushed people away. Literally. "And don't get me started on the guys...

You know those guys who were looking at you like a piece of meat? I wanted to smash their faces in. You deserve better than them, ya know? Those guys act like anyone in a skirt walking down the hallway is just there for them to stare at. You should hear some of what they say in the locker room - even if you wouldn't understand two thirds of the crap they say even you would know that they're just scum who don't deserve to breathe the same air as a girl like you."

Kyo bit off the last word, his jaw clenching together in frustration. Of course dumb Tohru wouldn't know what the guys were saying. She hadn't even heard them in the hallway that day, but even without his catlike hearing Kyo heard what they had been saying about her. It made his fists clench and his face burn in anger, and it felt like a pit had dropped into his stomach and pulled it through the floor. His first instinct had been to beat them to a pulp, but his first coherent thought was to _protect Tohru_. Which was becoming his first coherent thought in situations like that more and more. Every time she intervened in his arguments with the damn Rat, every time he started an argument with Uotanni, or even just walking down the sidewalk where she was liable to trip and fall into traffic or something. And especially now, where she was sleeping on the deck out in the open, the house unlocked behind her, where any weirdo could get to her and do God only knew what. It was almost always _protect Tohru_.

"Of course you're not gonna hear any of this because you're sleeping, but I think that's okay. Because all you would do would be to laugh and smile at me like you always do and tell me that you're not worth protecting, or that I'm worrying too much. And you know why that is?" Kyo paused and looked over at Tohru, who was smiling in her sleep again, the adorable weirdo. "It's because you're worth worrying about. That's why Yuki watches you like a hawk. And I- well, you know. Or maybe you don't. That's okay."

He sat there in silence for a while, watching the sun set, occasionally reaching over to brush Tohru's hair out of her face before she breathed it in. Something about this time was bittersweet to him, but he couldn't name why. 

No, that was a lie.

He knew why, but he wouldn't say it out loud, even when Tohru was asleep next to him. It had been growing for months, the feeling weaving itself into every moment of his day, both waking and sleeping, no matter if he was with Tohru or not. The thought that she had become so integral to his daily life was terrifying. Kyo was used to not needing anyone except Master, and even then he had been reluctant to let the man be a part of his life. Without realizing it, Tohru had snuck into his home and his routine in such a way that it was as if part of himself was missing when she wasn't there. And even worse, he knew that his time with her was circumscribed by the curse and even more limited by Akito. There were only so many moments like this where he could sit with her and just relax - relax away from Shigure and his teasing, the stupid Rat and his barbs, or from anyone at school or anyone else in his insane family. 

Kyo's musings were cut short by the sound of a car crunching up the gravel in front of the house. With those useful catlike reflexes, he jumped away from Tohru and bounded up the stairs to his room, slamming the door just as the front door opened and Shigure's voice rang out, calling out a greeting.

Another moment cut short. How many more would he have?


End file.
